Better The Devil You Know (The Mad March Hare Mix)
Never Gonna Give You Up (Escape From New York Mix)
You Think You?Re A Man (Remix)
I?D Rather Jack (Extended Mix)
Roadblock (Rare Groove Mix)
Say I?M Your Number One (12? Version)
I Just Can?T Wait (Mandy?S Theme) (The Cool And Breezy Jazz Mix)
Beyond Your Wildest Dreams (12? Version)
Pwlradio Megamix 2005
2005 UK 3-CD album set featuring a 48-track collection of classic hits from these hit-making writer/producers' collective career including tracks from Rick Astley, Bananarama, Kylie Minogue, Donna Summer, Jason Donovan, De... more »ad Or Alive, Sinitta and many more plus previously unreleased recordings and rarities! BMG.« less
2005 UK 3-CD album set featuring a 48-track collection of classic hits from these hit-making writer/producers' collective career including tracks from Rick Astley, Bananarama, Kylie Minogue, Donna Summer, Jason Donovan, Dead Or Alive, Sinitta and many more plus previously unreleased recordings and rarities! BMG.
CD Reviews
1989 Again.
The Groove | Boston, MA | 05/08/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Their songs are shamelessly formulaic, beat-driven, just-add-water dance pop. Still, I give this compilation five stars, the highest rating you can give to any product on this website. You think I'm nuts? Maybe I am, but it's in the opinion of this reviewer that Mike Stock, Matt Aitken, and Pete Waterman were among the best songwriters of the mid-to-late 1980s. During that time frame, these guys ruled the UK (and, to a much lesser degree, the US) charts with their flighty, perky pop hits that resulted in platinum discs and Number Ones for Kylie, Dead or Alive, Rick Astley, and Jason Donovan among others. It'd be technically impossible to compile every major SAW hit on a 3-CD set, but "Gold" is still worth your time. For one, the songs are superbly remastered, and for this American reviewer, I'm hearing many of these tracks for the first time on CD. This set has the predictable hits from Kylie, Jason, Rick, and Bananarama, but the true thrill is listening to the lesser tracks, some of which have long been out-of-print. Brother Beyond's Mowtown-lite confections "The Harder I Try" and "He Ain't No Competition" sound even better today than they did in 1988. Divine's flamingly fierce "You Think You're a Man" appears twice: the single edit and the extended 12-inch version. Sonia's "You'll Never Stop Me Loving You" and "Big Fun"'s Jacksons cover "Blame it on the Boogie" are cheesy fun, while Samntha Fox's guilty pleasure "Nothing's Gonna Stop Me Now" is Ni-NRG bliss. Those who like their pop high on the cheese factor will find delight in the Reynolds Girls' "I'd Rather Jack," a song so aggressively awful that it qualifies as a dance camp classic. We get a triple dose of this single: it appears in its editied and 12-inch version (Disc three has 10 extended 12-inch tracks), and it's included in the 13-minute PWL Megamix. This isn't the first SAW compilation of this kind, but for those who want remastered quality and to relive the glory years of the 1980s should click "add to cart." Give me Stock Aitken Waterman over Britney, Justin Timberlake, and the Backstreet Boys any day.
"
Gold from SAW
Nse Ette | Lagos, Nigeria | 12/03/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Stock Aitken Waterman Gold is a 3 CD collection of the UK trio's hit productions for acts ranging from Kylie Minogue, Bananarama, Rick Astley, Princess, Cliff Richard to Donna Summer.
Their aim was to churn out hit after hit, (they were nicknamed the hit factory) and even though a lot of their music did sound glossy and mass produced (loathed by most critics), it was light, fun, and hugely danceable, and sold massively.
Contained here are most of their hits; Donna Summer's US comeback top 10 hit `This time I know it's for real' and `I don't wanna get hurt' (available here in the funkier superior remix version, not the album version), Rick Astley's huge hits `Never gonna give you up', and Together forever', Bananarama's US chart topping remake of `Venus', `Respectable' and Showing out' by sister duo Mel & Kim, the funky anthem `Roadblock' performed by SAW themselves, and `Say I'm your number 1' by Princess to name a few.
The third disc comprises rarities; remixes of hits like `You spin me around' by Dead or alive, `Better the devil you know' by Kylie Minogue, `Beyond your wildest dreams' by Lonnie Gordon and `I'd rather jack' by The Reynolds Girls' to mention a few.
I was disappointed with the scanty CD booklet though. Would have been cool to see photos of all the acts, as well as chart stats of the songs (not to mention their hits with 3 Degrees) but still, a great collection that takes one back to when SAW were the masters of the UK airwaves..."
S/A/W for dummies
Middletails | Canada | 03/25/2006
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Pete Waterman spews out yet another compilation which I call 'The Hit Factory volume 6'. And yes there were five such compilations prior to this release all that are now out of print and hard to find except on ebay. This set is not much different than the rest except it has three CD's, one of which contains only 12" versions of various songs.
If anyone was an avid collector of S/A/W, they'd have 95% if not all these songs in their cd/vinyl/mp3 collection. This CD set would be excellant for those just discovering the wonder that is S/A/W, but long time fans would be tired of the same old songs (even if they are classic staples) showing up on every compilation. Granted, there are a few songs that are real gems such as Donna Summer's 'I don't want to get hurt' (the remixed 7" version apparently), the cheesy, yet catchy version of Big Fun's Blame it on the Boogie and the brilliant 'Listen to your Heart' by Sonia. Personally they should've left out 'I'd Rather Jack' by the Reynold Girls. The song is simply dreadful and hard on the ears. The video (I'm not sure if this is available on the DVD version of S/A/W GOLD) is a major eyesore; corny is an understatment here. Not only does the song appear as the normal radio version, they HAD to include the 12" version AND in the megamix! Enough already! They also should have left out Ferry Across the Mercy and Let it Be. Put in some rare songs in place of these dreadful remakes!
Included in CD2 is Mandy's version of Kylie's 'Got to Be Certain' which is just Mandy's vocals inserted into the original production. Not really anything special. Kylie's more suited for the song, in my opinion anyways.
CD3 has only 12" versions of various S/A/W songs including the wonderful Mad March Hare mix of Kylie's 'Better the Devil', the boring, droned out 'Roadblock' by S/A/W themselves and a megamix. S/A/W does not excel in sequencing their songs as 'A Ton of Hits' proved, but if you want to complete your collection, here is a new megamix for your listening pleasure (or displeasure...).
If you want a great S/A/W related non-stop megamix CD, I strongly suggest 'Dance Paradise - PWL Perfect Hits' which is a Japanese release and a bit expensive, but very much worth it. Do a search. This was not sequenced together by S/A/W themselves and it shows.
Here's hoping that Hit Factory volume 7 (probably called Stock Aitken Waterman Gold II) will have some thought put into the song selections."
"The Sound of a Bright Young Britain"
Dale E. Hopkins, II | Lakewood, OH USA | 01/18/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"That was the slogan that Pete Waterman chose for his company. It paraphrased the slogan that Motown had used two decades earlier. Pete Waterman, producer and record mogul, had worked with Gamble, Huff and Bell back in the heyday of Philly Soul in the 1970s. He understood the formula on how to make a hit record. He just needed the musicians in order to make it happen for himself. In the early 80s, he hooked up with Mike Stock and Matt Aitken, two musicians who were making small waves in the British music scene. With Stock and Aitken's songwriting abilities and Waterman's ear, they set off on their big adventure.
Their earliest hits by Divine, Hazell Dean and Princess didn't have that polished, tried-and-true PWL Records formula that would become so recognisable during their run with Rick Astley, Kylie Minogue, Sonia, Donna Summer or Big Fun. Still, the seeds of their sound had been planted and soon acts such as Dead or Alive and Bananarama were looking to come aboard.
"The Sound of a Bright Young Britain" was energetic, fun, disposable pure pop that made you want to dance, hum along or drive with the windows open. Yes, it was lightweight but that's the whole point of pop music. Included on this collection are brilliantly remastered moments from their chart-topping reign in the UK and around the world. One rarity, Mandy Smith's take on the old Kylie chestnut, "Got to Be Certain" closes out the main portion of the collection. The third disc contains remixes, along with a PWLradio.com megamix that includes Rick Astley's "Whenever You Need Somebody", and a couple other tracks that weren't included on the two main discs as well as The Twins' rare track, "All Mixed Up".
Sure, there are some omissions in this collection. Unless you are creating a dream boxed-set of Stock/Aitken/Waterman's output, this collection will have to do. These songs were chosen to represnt their best moments. All in all, it's not bad. The songs have never sounded better and sometimes it's good to to just let loose and feel young again."
Fabulous!
Tom | Toronto | 02/05/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"In the mid-to-late '80s, it was impossible to go anywhere without hearing the Stock, Aitken and Waterman sound (otherwise known as S-A-W). Their sugar-pop sound, assembled on their well-oiled assembly line was detested by critics, but loved by music fans, who couldn't resist S-A-W's penchant for making catchy, albeit empty, songs. From Dead or Alive's "You Spin Me Round" to Kylie's "I Should Be So Lucky" to Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up", nobody made catchier pop than S-A-W. Those hits, plus many others are featured on this 3-disc set, which captures a memorable era (roughly 1985-1990) of pop music. I'm sure critics still hate it, but come on, admit it: you love S-A-W!
This excellent compilation is worth the import price."
Track Listings (48) - Disc #1